The move came two days after the club optioned first baseman Dan Vogelbach to the Rainiers. Vogelbach and Miranda were each projected to make the 25-man roster when the Mariners opened spring training.

Miranda, 28, pitched this spring as a starting pitcher but had loomed as likely fit in the bullpen as the second left-hander. An inconsistent spring apparently cost him a spot on the roster.

"It’s been hit or miss a little bit this spring with Miranda," manager Scott Servais said. "There have been some very good innings. Some other ones have gotten away from him a little bit. Overall, how has he thrown this spring? I think just OK.

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"I don’t think he’s lit it up at all. I don’t think he’s been just horrible. Just OK."

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The Mariners also reassigned catcher Sebastian Valle to minor-league camp prior to their game against Texas at Peoria Stadium. The moves leave 41 players in big-league camp, including eight non-roster players.

Miranda started well in spring training but gave up six runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in his last two starts. He was 5-2 with a 3.54 ERA last season in 11 games, including 10 starts, after being acquired from Baltimore in a July 31 trade.

"Ariel did a terrific job for us down the stretch last season," general manager Jerry Dipoto said, "and showed the ability to succeed as a major-league starter.

"At this time we are happy with our present starting five and think it’s best to keep him stretched out as a starter, which will happen in Tacoma.

Of the three, only Pazos is currently on the 40-man roster, which means the Mariners must make a corresponding space-clearing move in order to keep Hagadone or Kiekhefer.

Pazos, 25, has six scoreless outings this spring in eight appearances, but one bad inning against Cleveland skews his numbers.

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Hagadone, 31, signed Jan. 31 as a minor-league free agent after missing all of last season while recovering from elbow surgery. He has allowed one run and five hits in eight innings while striking out 10 and walking two.

The Mariners acquired Kiekhefer, 27, in a Nov. 4 waiver claim from St. Louis and retained him in December when he cleared waiver after being designated for assignment. He has allowed three runs in 8 1/3 spring innings.

MEDICAL REPORT

Head colds and/or the flu is running through the Mariners’ clubhouse. Second baseman Robinson Cano and designated hitter Nelson Cruz each missed a third straight day and are unlikely to play Sunday against the Reds in Goodyear.

Left-hander James Paxton pitched through the ailment Saturday in a minor-league game in order to stay on schedule.

***Left fielder Jarrod Dyson remains slowed by a "fatigued" hamstring. He hasn’t played since Tuesday.

"The hamstring is not pulled," Servais said. "It’s more a fatigue issue. He wants to make sure he’s right before he goes back out there. He’s going to test it on Monday and make sure he’s good to go.

"He could play right now. It’s just not to the point where we want to expose him and take a chance."

***Right-handed reliever Tony Zych is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Sunday as the next step in his recovery from October surgery for a biceps tendon transfer.

***Right-handed reliever Steve Cishek is scheduled to throw Sunday from a mound for the second time since undergoing October surgery to repair a torn hip labrum.

***Right-hander reliever Shae Simmons is still restricted to playing catch in his recovery from a March 11 muscle strain in his forearm.

LOOKING BACK

It was 17 years ago Sunday — March 26, 2000 — that demolition workers blew up the Kingdome in a spectacular 20-second display.

Workers packed 5,800 holes with gelatin dynamite and used 21.6 miles of detonation cord to reduce the Mariners’ former home to a mound of rubble over 65 feet high.

Construction started on the Kingdome — officially the King County Multipurpose Domed Stadium — in 1972, and it opened in 1976. The construction cost was $67 million.

The Kingdome served as the home for the Mariners (from 1977-99), the Seahawks (1976-2000) and SuperSonics (1978-85) and the Sounders (1976-83).

About Bob Dutton

Bob Dutton joined The News Tribune in 2013 after more than 25 years at the Kansas City Star, including the last 13 covering baseball and the Royals. He was the president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 2008 and serves on the committee that nominates players to the Hall of Fame.